For over a decade, the PlayStation 4 was a pillar of modern gaming. It hosted countless blockbusters like God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, and so many more. Despite selling more than 100 million units worldwide, time has caught up with this once legendary console. November 2025 will mark a major turning point in the history of Sony’s console, as perhaps the last AAA game released on the PS4. The most ironic part is that it is not coming from Sony, but from Microsoft, a twisted fact that says a lot about the console’s future.
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This upcoming release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, is emblematic of a shift. The PS4 was once a powerhouse of Sony’s ecosystem, but has effectively been replaced by the PlayStation 5. Sony has moved on, no longer releasing major titles on this console, whereas Activision, owned by Microsoft, is releasing one of the most anticipated games of the year. This is likely the end of the PS4 going forward.
The PlayStation 4’s Life Cycle Is Coming to an End

When the PlayStation 4 launched in 2013, it promised a future of seamless gaming, cinematic storytelling, and unmatched technical power, and for years, it delivered. The console dominated the generation as it defined what AAA gaming meant for millions of players. Sony produced acclaimed exclusive after exclusive on this console, many of which have been solidified as the best series in gaming. But now, its life is coming to an end.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is perhaps the final AAA game releasing on the PlayStation 4, and Sony has shown no sign of releasing its own AAA games on this platform. Its focus is solely on the PS5 as seen by its releases this year. Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Lost Soul Aside, skipping the PS4. Yet there is still hope for PS4 owners, at least in other spheres.
NetEase has released the hit hero-shooter, Marvel Rivals, on the PS4, showing that popular games may still come to the older console. Not only this, but indie games are still seeing a release here. But even with this, fewer and fewer games are launching on the previous generation. And it makes sense as the hardware just cannot keep up with new technology. The PS4 is seeing the end of its life, but it has certainly had a good life.
The Legacy of Older Consoles

It’s worth remembering that every great console eventually faces this moment. The PlayStation 2 continued receiving games long after the PS3 launched; the same was true for the PS3 after the PS4’s debut. These transitional periods are bittersweet as they mix nostalgia and inevitability. This is the natural evolution of a gaming console, and the same had to be expected of the PS4.
The PS4’s library remains one of the strongest in gaming history, with classics that still hold up beautifully today. And in a way, it lives on through the series it started. As new engines, hardware, and player expectations evolve, the PS4 just can’t keep up. While it means the console must remain in the past, it has passed on the torch, something that the PlayStation 5 may be doing soon as well.
Just as the PS4 is on its way out, the PS5 will follow a similar fate. The console is still going strong, but rumors about the PlayStation 6 are swirling. It is only a matter of time before this console becomes obsolete as well. Sony about quiet regarding its next console, but fans think change may be coming soon.
Sony’s Future Is the PS6, and It May Be Coming Soon

The decline in PS4 releases isn’t just a coincidence — it’s a strategic signal. Sony has clearly shifted its attention to the future, and all signs point toward the next major milestone: the PlayStation 6. While the PS5 is still in its prime, the PS6 is inevitable. At this time, we know that Saros and Marvel’s Wolverine are set to launch on PS5 in 2026, but outside of this, there is little known about Sony’s other first-party games. This still leaves Guerrilla Games, Naughty Dog, and Santa Monica Studio to potentially release the next games in their iconic series on the PS6.
The expected release date for the PlayStation 6 is 2028 at the earliest. By 2027, the PS5 will be entering its seventh year on the market, historically, the moment when Sony introduces new hardware. Sony’s first-party studios have almost entirely stopped producing PS4 versions of their upcoming titles and are focusing on the PS5. If this trend continues, fans can likely expect dual releases on PS5 and PS6 for some games, though others may skip the PS5 altogether.
So where does that leave PS4 owners? At a point where they can enjoy the titles already released on the console, but with the expectation that what they have is what they’ll get. The option now is to purchase a PS5 to enjoy new games, or wait until the PlayStation 6 launches and work through a back catalog. Regardless, the PS4 has solidified its legacy, one that contains some of the best games in Sony’s history.
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